MR. SASSMAN'S 4th GRADE CLASS BLOG: April 2018

Monday, April 30, 2018

Monday April 30, 2018

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

***REMINDER: Please keep saving your "Clean recycling/trash" for us to bring and use at Twin Bears. Also, could send your kiddo in with a clean white t-shirt sometime in the next week (before Twin Bears)?

***Please note if this applies to your kiddo: After school Book Club is now on Tuesdays...Thanks

Last week we finished up with the Artist in Residence and Two Views of Mt. Fuji. We also had a chance to practice our Roving Reporter skits and erupted our Pacific Rim Volcanoes with Mrs. Hammer's class. As you can tell from the pictures above, our trips to MTCC and the courthouse were awesome! Verdict: Cookie Monster was found guilty by our panel of fourth grade jurors.

This week we will work a lot with our To Do Lists, trying to finish up what we can before next week. Can you believe there are only eight days till our Twin Bears trip? On Friday this week, there will be a school-wide assembly celebrating Mr. Dunavin's Fitness Testing Awardees and on Tuesday, student council members have an all-day field trip downtown.

A quick thanks: Thank you for all the kind emails, phone calls, and visits to express your feelings towards my potential departure from Pearl Creek due to budget cuts. I have been so touched by your sentiments! I want to assure you that your letters are being read, and your voices are being heard. The state legislature is seriously considering increasing the SBA by $100 per student, which would help tremendously. Now we need the School District and the Borough to pony-up some more cash, and hopefully we will be able to maintain status quo! The next School Board meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, May 1st (tomorrow) at 7 PM, and Tuesday, May 8th at 7 PM. I will be at both, speaking on behalf of our kids (my daughters included), our schools, and our community.

Monday looks like:

9:00 - 9:10

New Jobs
9:10 - 10:25

Teacher 1-1 Meetings
TDL
10:25 - 11:00
GYM
11:00 - 11:40

Read Aloud

TDL

11:40 - 12:10

EAT

12:10 - 12:40

PLAY

12:40 - 1:55

Math Block

2:00 - 3:25
Birch Tree Tapping with buddies (hopefully)
Art
Haikus
TDL

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS

With a little over six weeks left of school, and about five weeks left of academic campaigns, I have made our final TDL (To Do List). Assignments are due on or before May 8, 2018. We have field trips and other agenda items the last week of school (May 9 - May 16)

HOMEROOM HOMEWORK

--None

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)

We have finished our curriculum-based workbook for the year. No math homework this week. We have started our new workbooks and I will send them home with the kids at the end of the school year for them to use and practice with over the summer.

***Please note that Math, Specials, Lunch, and Recess are Intermediate schedules and stay in blocks. At times, curriculum, instruction, and homework may be adjusted to accommodate different initiatives.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Wednesday, May 9 - Friday, May 11, 2018 (3-days)

--Twin Bears/Angel Rocks Hiking/Camping Trip

Monday, May 14, 2018
--Birch Hill (Hiking and Picnic/Games)

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 (early out day 2 PM)
--Bowling at Arctic Bowl and hike to Pioneer Park for picnic and play

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 (early our day 2 PM)
--Classroom/Desks/Lockers clean out

Thursday, May 17, 2018 (also early out day 2 PM)
--Last day of school, Field Day, School Picnic

It's a good life!

--Mr. Sassman

Monday, April 23, 2018

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

We are finally done with testing this year and Mrs. Coffeen is back! As we approach the end of the year, we still have a lot to get done. With a little over four weeks left, the kids will be plugging away with their To Do Lists, with a couple of mini-projects sprinkled on top.

A BIG THANK YOU for attending our Twin Bears Volunteer Meeting. We had an amazing turnout and this year is going to be one for the books! I just love this trip and time of year.

***REMINDER: Please keep saving your "Clean recycling/trash" for us to bring and use at Twin Bears. Also, could send your kiddo in with a clean white t-shirt sometime in the next few weeks (before Twin Bears)? Mrs. Hammer and I decided we are going to do Indigo Dying with the kids at camp...so thanks.

***Please note if this applies to your kiddo: After school Book Club is now on Tuesdays...Thanks

This week:
I have posted a picture of our TDL down below...Today there is the spring band concert at school (1:00 PM), and tonight at 7:00 PM again. Right after, we will be erupting our volcano models and performing skits (Roving Reporters) that the kids made with their group about the event. Locations: Various places on the Pacific Rim!

Tomorrow we have our field trip to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center and the Rabinowitz Courthouse downtown. Feel free to join or pop by if you are able.

Thanks to our generous and wonderful PTA, our second and final Artist in Residence is at Pearl Creek this week and our class will attend three sessions. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Monday looks like:

9:00 - 9:10

New Jobs
New Seats
9:10 - 9:30

Getting to know your new neighbor
9:30 - 10:25
Expository Books
10:25 - 11:00
GYM
11:00 - 11:40

Read Aloud

TDL

11:40 - 12:10

EAT

12:10 - 12:40

PLAY

1:00 - 2:00

Band Concert

2:00 - 3:25
Volcano Eruptions
Roving Reporters

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS

HOMEROOM HOMEWORK

--None

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Field Trip to Morris Thompson Cultural Center (AM)/Mock Trial at the Courthouse Downtown (PM)
9:15 AM - 2:30 PM

Wednesday, May 9 - Friday, May 11, 2018 (3-days)

--Twin Bears/Angel Rocks Hiking/Camping Trip

Monday, May 14, 2018
--Birch Hill (Hiking and Picnic/Games)

It's a good life!

--Mr. Sassman

Monday, April 16, 2018

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

23 Days till' we depart for Twin Bears!

Yup...that is this week!

Good morning! As you know, we have a lot of testing this week...again, ugggg. Today, our PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for Alaska Students) English/Language Arts. Tomorrow will be Math, and Friday will be Science (Fourth Grade only). Speech contest finals will also be on Friday in the afternoon.

It was great getting to know Ms. Kendall last week. She will join us for this week as well, hosting a few guest lessons on Wednesday and Thursday...Should be great!

No spelling or homework this week...testing and all, but kids will be working on their To Do Lists in school and may need some supplemental support at home. Hoagies were epic, followed by student choice free time for an hour.

The nurse wanted us to mention to parents: please send your child in with a change of clothing in his or her backpack (socks too) during the spring time. It gets wet out on the playground and she is running out of "extras," especially intermediate sizes. Thanks.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018 from 5:30 - 6:30, we will have a Twin Bears Volunteer Meeting. This will be our last meeting before our big trip. If you are planning to volunteer, please, please, please try and make this meeting. Friendly reminder: please get cleared by the District's background check system if you have not yet.

Speaking of volunteers: This Wednesday, at 3:30, in the Library, you are invited to be honored for all the amazing help you give our school. Come join us (the staff) for a special reception in your honor. Everyone who has volunteered (or will at Twin Bears), is welcome. We just want to say thank you and feed you some delicious treats!

***REMINDER: Please keep saving your "Clean recycling/trash" for us to bring and use at Twin Bears. Also, could send your kiddo in with a clean white t-shirt sometime in the next few weeks (before Twin Bears)? Mrs. Hammer and I decided we are going to do Indigo Dying with the kids at camp...so thanks.

***Please note if this applies to your kiddo: After school Book Club is now on Tuesdays...Thanks

Monday looks like:

9:00- 9:10

New Jobs
Class Meeting

9:10-11:40

PEAKS Testing

11:40-12:10

Eat

12:10 - 12:40

Play

12:40 - 1:55

Math Block

2:00 - 3:25
TDL

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS

HOMEROOM HOMEWORK

--None

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, April 16, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - ELA

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - MATH

Friday, April 20, 2018

PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - SCIENCE (fourth graders only)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Field Trip to Morris Thompson Cultural Center (AM)/Mock Trial at the Courthouse Downtown (PM)
9:15 AM - 2:30 PM

Wednesday, May 9 - Friday, May 11, 2018 (3-days)

--Twin Bears/Angel Rocks Hiking/Camping Trip

Monday, May 14, 2018
--Birch Hill (Hiking and Picnic/Games)

It's a good life!

--Mr. Sassman

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

THANK YOU! Our Read-a-Thon fundraiser was a huge success. As a class we have raised $1,788 so far, with six kiddos still to turn in funds...altogether with Mrs. Hammer's group, we have raised about $3,400! This will fund our field trips for the remainder of the year, including all expenses for Twin Bears. You are awesome, and we are so fortunate! As a reward for crushing our goal, we will have a hoagie party this Thursday...no need to pack a lunch!

Last Week:
Testing went well last week. MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) scores are in and I was able to dive into the data over the weekend. I have to say: Almost every student met or exceeded their growth goals in math and ELA. I am so proud! The kids have worked really hard all year long, and they are reaping the benefits in so many ways. Next up, the week of April 16th, PEAKS. Again, please see that your student gets plenty of rest and that they eat a hearty breakfast, so they can feel comfortable during our sessions (we had a pancake and sausage breakfast on one our MAP testing days last week).

Art specialists were at Pearl Creek last week and our class had a session on Tuesday afternoon...it is always a great time!

We have been plugging away on our TDL and have made some nice progress...oh, and, we reviewed Mr. Newton's Laws again, egg drop style. It was epic! Hopefully the video links work.

This week:
Mrs. Coffen will be out of the classroom for two weeks. As part of the UAF Education Program, she will be "trading places," with another intern from Barnett Elementary School. We will welcome Ms. Kendall to our room, and hope she has as much fun as we do, while gettin' things done!

Spelling will come home this week, and we will be hitting our TDLs pretty hard, so not to many new things to report except, the class filled their marble jar again, so we will vote on a class reward. Hummm, hoagie party, marble jar party, doughnut party...is this even school :) But in all seriousness they have worked hard and deserve every bit of joy!

Next - Next - Week:
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018 from 5:30 - 6:30, we will have a Twin Bears Volunteer Meeting. This will be our last meeting before our big trip. If you are planning to volunteer, please, please, please try and make this meeting. Friendly reminder: please get cleared by the District's background check system if you have not yet.

***REMINDER: Please keep saving your "Clean recycling/trash" for us to bring and use at Twin Bears. Also, could send your kiddo in with a clean white t-shirt sometime in the next few weeks (before Twin Bears)? Mrs. Hammer and I decided we are going to do Indigo Dying with the kids at camp...so thanks.

***Please note if this applies to your kiddo: After school Book Club is now on Tuesdays...Thanks

One quick thanks: Thank you to those that responded and wrote letters and/or emails, to our legislators in support of funding education properly. You rock! I am going to miss this community, school, and especially your kiddos. Perhaps things will change if more people like you make their voices heard.

Monday looks like:

9:00- 9:30

New Jobs
New Seats
Class Meeting

9:30-10:25

Expository Book Writing
Warm & Cold Tree Art
10:25-11:00
Gym
11:00-11:40

DOL

Read Aloud/TDL

11:40-12:10

Eat

12:10 - 12:40

Play

12:40 - 1:55

Math Block

2:00 - 3:25
TDL - See below

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS

HOMEROOM HOMEWORK

--Spelling Packet

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, April 16, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - ELA

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - MATH

Friday, April 20, 2018

PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - SCIENCE (fourth graders only)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Field Trip to Morris Thompson Cultural Center (AM)/Mock Trial at the Courthouse Downtown (PM)
9:15 AM - 2:30 PM

Wednesday, May 9 - Friday, May 11, 2018 (3-days)

--Twin Bears/Angel Rocks Hiking/Camping Trip

Monday, May 14, 2018
--Birch Hill (Hiking and Picnic/Games)

It's a good life!

--Mr. Sassman

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Mr. Sassman's

4th Grade Class Blog

I hope you and yours had a nice holiday weekend, whatever it is
that you do, or do not celebrate :)

Get ready...

I AM

By Mr. Sassman's Fourth Grade Class

I am creative and adventurous

I wonder when someone will pick me up

I hear kids everywhere

I see color and envy its beauty

I want to explore

I am creative and adventurous

I pretend to dance on a sea of floating trees

I feel the coarse grains dragging on my feet

I touch the hearts and minds of people when I am at my best

I worry about being dull

I cry when I am sharp

I am creative and adventurous

I understand that one day, I will be no more

I say stay positive and focused

I dream of expressing my feelings

I try to sing but I am speechless

I hope to bring joy and imagination alive

I am creative and adventurous

The kids and I came up with this little piece...can you guess what I AM? They will write two pieces in this format. One that describes an object, and the other...they will interview a classmate and write a: HE IS/SHE IS about them. Oh, just wait, this is going to be amazing!

Last Week:

We had a great week! We kicked off poetry month a bit early...I just couldn't hold back! It is one of my favorite units of the year. We will have a poetry slam at the end of April, featuring "Pie and Poetry." More details to follow.

We also ventured out to Frog Pond with our buddies for some sledding and to find inspiration for Spring Haikus. Most kids have finished drafting and typing those up.

Expository books are coming along nicely and I can't wait to send home our Warm & Cold Tree Art! Second round of Pen Pal letters went out :)

The Read-a-Thon officially ended Friday and it is time to send in donations please. I have received a few already and thank you so much. I am so proud of how hard all the kids have worked.

This week:

Please send in an empty cereal box with your student this week if you have not yet. We will be wrapping them in preparation for their book reports. I know that most, if not all, students are still reading their books, but we prep their boxes this week. If you missed it, the kids should have chosen a Newbery Medal or Honor book to create a cereal box book report.

Spring testing season is here...ugggg. We have MAP sessions this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Please make sure your student has had a good night's rest and hearty breakfast in preparation for test-taking. Thanks.

***Please note if this applies to your kiddo: After school Book Club is now on Tuesdays...Thanks

I have posted some additional field trip dates down below and added our testing dates FYI.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018 from 5:30 - 6:30, we will have a Twin Bears Volunteer Meeting. This will be our last meeting before our big trip. If you are planning to volunteer, please, please, please try and make this meeting. Friendly reminder: please get cleared by the District's background check system if you have not yet.

This will be the one and only time I post this, as I do not see our class blog as a means for this type of business...but...I just wanted to inform you that Pearl Creek is slated to lose two teachers next year (I am one of those teachers), due to budget cuts. Of course I do not want to be involuntary transferred to another school, but there is a larger issue here. If this happens, class sizes here will rise significantly (in excess of 30 kids per class in some cases), and that is not good for anyone. I am informing you of this because, as a teacher, I have testified in front of the school board, Borough, and I have written letters to Juneau opposing this, but I have had little to no impact on reversing this course of action.

If you do not want to see this happen, it is up to you as a parent and your student(s) to do something. You have the largest impact (by far), to influence school board members and legislators. Tell your stories.

I have started my career here at Pearl Creek and have loved every minute of it, and I have a deep love for the kids at this school and this community. It will be hard to leave, but I cannot do so in good conscience, without telling you that you have the power to help make a change in the road we are about to go down as a District. Please let your voices be heard.

Thanks for listening...

Fourth quarter looks like - in brief:

April Poetry Month Pie and Poems

Cereal Box Book Reports

Pacific Rim

Pen Pal Letters

DOL

GeoNotes

Expository Essay Writing

Folk Tale Triramas

Read LIVE

Cursive Handbooks

Organism Trading Cards

Monday looks like:

9:00- 9:10

New Jobs
Class Meeting

9:10-10:25

Expository Book Writing
Warm & Cold Tree Art
10:25-11:00
PE - Fitness Testing
11:00-11:40

DOL

Read Aloud/TDL

11:40-12:10

Eat

12:10 - 12:40

Play

12:40 - 1:55

Math Block

2:00 - 3:25

Poetry - Haikus and "I AM" poems

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS

By Friday
--Spring Haikus
--I AM

HOMEROOM HOMEWORK

--None (Testing Week)

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)

We have finished our curriculum-based workbook for the year. No math homework this week. I have ordered new books that we will start and I will send them home with the kids at the end of the school year for them to use and practice with over the summer.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

ONGOING INFORMATION

READING LOGS
Reading logs are a regular part of our class. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefiting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

GOOGLE DRIVE - You can access all of your student's digital assignments online and work at home if you would like. Just go to www.gmail.com and type in their email address and password. Then find the Google Menu (where you will find the Drive, Docs, and Slides) icon in the top right corner (it is a nine square grid next to their s-number). This is where they will make their Google Slides Presentation for their Biography Book Reports. They must login using these credentials:

Username: s#@student.k12northstar.org (for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org)

Password: s#g (for example: s123456g)

DATES TO REMEMBER

Wednesday, April 4, 2018
MAP Testing (Measures of Academic Progress) - ELA

Thursday, April 5, 2018
MAP Testing (Measures of Academic Progress) - MATH

Monday, April 16, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - ELA

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - MATH

Friday, April 20, 2018

PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for AK Students) - SCIENCE (fourth graders only)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Field Trip to Morris Thompson Cultural Center/Mock Trial at the Courthouse

Wednesday, May 9 through Friday, May 11, 2018

Angel Rocks Hike and Twin Bears Camping Trip - Details to follow

Monday, May 14, 2018

Birch Hill Hiking and Picnic
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Bowling (Arctic Bowl) and hike to Pioneer Park

It's a good life!

--Mr. Sassman